The Life Of Pablo

Roberto Ampuero’s novels starring the wonderfully roguish Cayetano Brulé are an international sensation. In The Neruda Case, readers are introduced to Cayetano as he takes on his first case as a private eye. Set against the fraught political world of pre-Pinochet Chile, Castro’s Cuba, and perilous behind-the-Wall East Berlin, this mystery spans countries, cultures, and political ideas, and features one of literature’s most beloved figures Pablo Neruda.

Recorded live at the Palast der Republik, East Berlin, on Febr. 14, 1980 as Radio DT 64 Youth Concert in occasion of the X. Festival of Political Song. I can't think of another recording with a similarly strong political statement in the history of music. It was staged during the Cold War in the Palast der Republik, merely 1 mile from the Berlin Wall that would divide the World into a communist and a capitalist hemisphere for another 10 years.

If it takes a village to support and sustain a Jazz trio, then what better way to acknowledge that cherished sense of community than with a marvelous piece of art. In the case of drummer Rodrigo Recabarren, pianist Yago Vazquez and bassist Pablo Menares, that takes the form of their new trio album Famila, releasing on February 23 via Greenleaf Music. Having played together for more than a decade, refining a chemistry and musical telepathy that defines their signature sound, Famila is the consummate expression of this talented trio, as well as the kinship they feel for each other, their collective families and the larger community supporting their music.